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  • Source document: kernel/process_management/de_thread.md

  • Translation time: 2026-01-19 06:02:08

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Principle of DragonOS Multi-threaded Exec (De-thread) Mechanism

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Author: longjin longjin@dragonos.org

1. Overview

In the POSIX standard, the execve system call is used to execute a new program, replacing the current process image. For multi-threaded programs (Thread Group), POSIX requires that after exec succeeds:

  1. PID remains unchanged: The process’s PID (typically referring to TGID, i.e., Thread Group ID, in the kernel) must remain unchanged.

  2. Single-threaded: All other threads in the original process group must be terminated, leaving only the thread that executed exec (which becomes the new single-threaded process).

If the thread executing exec is the leader of the thread group (main thread), the situation is relatively simple: it only needs to kill the other threads. However, if the thread executing exec is an ordinary thread (non-leader), the situation becomes complex: it must “transform” into the leader, take over the original leader’s PID, and clean up the original leader. This process is called “de-threading” (De-thread).

This document details the implementation principles, processes, and concurrency control mechanisms of de_thread in the DragonOS kernel.

2. Core Challenges

  1. Identity Theft (Identity Theft): The non-leader thread executing exec (hereinafter referred to as the Exec-Thread) must exchange identities at the kernel level, making it appear to the user space and parent process as having the original leader’s PID.

  2. Concurrency Mutual Exclusion:

    • Two threads within the same process group may simultaneously call exec, or one calls exec while another calls exit_group. Only one can successfully start.

    • In the critical section of identity exchange, the process state is unstable, and it must be prevented for the parent process to see and reclaim the intermediate-state old leader via the wait system call.

  3. Resource Inheritance and Cleanup: The Exec-Thread needs to inherit the parent-child process relationships, child process lists, etc., of the original leader, while also being responsible for reclaiming the resources occupied by the old leader.

3. Implementation Mechanism

DragonOS refers to the design of the Linux kernel but combines it with Rust’s ownership and concurrency safety features in the specific implementation.

3.1 Key Data Structures

In the SigHand (signal handling structure, shared by the thread group), the following fields are introduced to manage the state:

  • SignalFlags::GROUP_EXEC: Flag bit. Indicates that the current thread group is undergoing de-threading.

  • group_exec_task: Weak<ProcessControlBlock>. Points to the thread currently executing exec.

  • group_exec_wait_queue: WaitQueue. Used to wait for other threads in the group to exit.

  • group_exec_notify_count: isize. Count of threads waiting to exit (used to wake up the waiting queue).

3.2 Core Process (de_thread)

The de_thread function is located in kernel/src/process/exec.rs and is the core of implementing this logic.

Phase 1: Initiation and Mutual Exclusion

  1. Lock and Mutual Exclusion: Call sighand.start_group_exec(). If GROUP_EXEC or GROUP_EXIT has been set, return EAGAIN to ensure mutual exclusion with concurrent exec/exit_group.

  2. Set Executor: Record the current thread in group_exec_task and clear group_exec_notify_count.

  3. Single-thread Fast Path: If the thread group is empty (only itself), directly set exit_signal = SIGCHLD and end the de-threading process.

Phase 2: Terminate Sibling Threads

  1. Build Cleanup List: Traverse the thread group, collecting all still-alive threads not in the exit path (including the old leader).

  2. Send Signal: Send SIGKILL to each thread in the cleanup list one by one.

  3. Set Count: Write the length of the cleanup list into group_exec_notify_count to wake up the waiting queue when threads exit.

Phase 3: Wait for Synchronization

  1. Enter Wait: Sleep on group_exec_wait_queue in a killable manner.

  2. Wake-up Conditions:

    • Traverse group_tasks to confirm no other threads are alive except the current thread;

    • If the current thread is not the leader, also ensure the old leader has entered the Zombie or Dead state;

    • If a fatal signal is received or the wait is interrupted, return EAGAIN.

    • Note: Other threads in the exit path (exit_notify) will decrement the count and wake up the waiting queue; if the executor exits abnormally, it will also clean up the GROUP_EXEC flag in this path.

Phase 4: Identity Exchange (Identity Theft)

Only executed when the Exec-Thread is not the leader

  1. PID/TID Exchange: Call ProcessManager::exchange_tid_and_raw_pids.

    • Swap the PID mapping relationships of the two in the global process table and swap the TID/PID fields inside the PCB.

    • Result: The Exec-Thread obtains the original TGID, and the Old-Leader obtains a temporary PID.

  2. Signal Semantics Adjustment:

    • The exit_signal of the new leader (Exec-Thread) is set to SIGCHLD;

    • The exit_signal of the Old-Leader is set to INVALID to avoid being treated as an ordinary child process.

  3. Structure Adjustment: Set the Exec-Thread as the new group_leader and clear both sides of group_tasks (only one thread remains after de-threading).

  4. Relationship Inheritance:

    • Child Processes: Migrate the entire children list of the Old-Leader to under the Exec-Thread;

    • Parent Process: The Exec-Thread inherits the parent/real_parent of the Old-Leader and updates fork_parent to itself.

Phase 5: Resource Cleanup

  1. Reclaim Old Leader: If the Old-Leader is already a Zombie or Dead, the Exec-Thread directly marks it as Dead and releases the PID resource.

  2. Completion: Regardless of success or failure, the GROUP_EXEC flag is ultimately cleared, and waiters are awakened.

3.3 Concurrency Protection: Preventing Parent Process from Incorrectly Reclaiming

This is the most delicate part of the implementation.

Problem Scenario: Between Phase 3 and Phase 4, the Old-Leader has received SIGKILL and exited into a Zombie state. At this time, if the parent process calls wait(), it may find the Old-Leader (PID=TGID) is a Zombie and reclaim it. If the parent process reclaims the Old-Leader before the Exec-Thread completes the PID exchange, the Exec-Thread will not be able to steal that PID (since the process corresponding to that PID has disappeared), or it may cause logical confusion.

Solution: In the kernel/src/process/exit.rs’s do_wait logic, a check function reap_blocked_by_group_exec is added:

fn reap_blocked_by_group_exec(child_pcb: &Arc<ProcessControlBlock>) -> bool {
    // 如果子进程是 Leader，且标记了 GROUP_EXEC，
    // 且执行 exec 的不是它自己，那么说明它正在等待被“篡位”，父进程不能回收它。
    if !child_pcb.is_thread_group_leader() {
        return false;
    }
    if !child_pcb.sighand().flags_contains(SignalFlags::GROUP_EXEC) {
        return false;
    }
    let exec_task = child_pcb.sighand().group_exec_task();
    exec_task
        .as_ref()
        .map(|t| !Arc::ptr_eq(t, child_pcb))
        .unwrap_or(true)
}

This check ensures that even if the Old-Leader becomes a Zombie, as long as the GROUP_EXEC flag is still present and exec_task is not it, the parent process cannot reclaim it. This provides a protective umbrella for the Exec-Thread to safely perform the PID/TID exchange.

4. Flowchart

sequenceDiagram
    participant P as Parent Process
    participant OL as Old Leader (PID=100)
    participant ET as Exec Thread (PID=101)
    participant S as Sibling (PID=102)

    Note over P, S: 初始状态：TGID=100. Exec Thread 想要执行 exec

    ET->>ET: start_group_exec()<br/>Set GROUP_EXEC flag
    ET->>S: Send SIGKILL
    ET->>OL: Send SIGKILL
    ET->>ET: Wait for siblings & leader death

    S->>S: Exit -> Zombie
    S-->>ET: Notify (count--)
    
    OL->>OL: Exit -> Zombie
    OL-->>ET: Notify (count--)

    Note right of P: Parent 调用 wait(PID=100)
    P->>OL: Check PID 100 (Zombie)
    P->>P: reap_blocked_by_group_exec?<br/>Yes! (Blocked by GROUP_EXEC)
    Note right of P: Parent 无法回收 Old Leader，继续等待

    ET->>ET: Woken up (All dead)
    
    Note over ET, OL: 开始身份交换 (Identity Theft)
    ET->>OL: exchange_tid_and_raw_pids()
    Note over ET, OL: ET 变成 PID=100<br/>OL 变成 PID=101

    ET->>ET: Inherit Parent/Children
    ET->>OL: Release/Reap Old Leader
    ET->>OL: OL 彻底销毁

    ET->>ET: Finish GROUP_EXEC

    Note over ET: exec 成功，ET 以 PID=100 运行新程序

5. References

  • Linux Kernel Source: fs/exec.c (de_thread function)

  • DragonOS Source:

    • kernel/src/process/exec.rs

    • kernel/src/process/exit.rs

    • kernel/src/ipc/sighand.rs